Enrollment
2,404
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Fairfax, VA
Fairfax High
Federal NCES profile for Fairfax High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 510126000463
👥 S:T ratio 25
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fairfax High earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia.
- #22 of 23
- public schools in Fairfax · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.8:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 28.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Fairfax High has class sizes larger than 98% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fairfax High ranks #22 of 23 public schools in Fairfax, VA.
School address
District: Fairfax County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510126000463 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
128.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.0%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fairfax High compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fairfax High
Fairfax High is a large high school in Fairfax, Virginia, enrolling 2,404 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.8:1 is larger than about 98% of Virginia schools and 35% above the 13.9:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,404 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 71 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #44.
Its student body is led by White (34%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 75/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 30 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 219 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
15.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Fairfax County Public Schools spends $17,977 per pupil, 23% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Fairfax's high schools, it stands alongside Woodson High (2,436 students): Fairfax High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.8:1 vs 15:1).
Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students) and Robinson Secondary (3,710 students) alongside Fairfax High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Fairfax High compares
Fairfax High on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.8:1 | ▲ 35% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.0% | ▼ 51% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,404 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.8:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,404
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.8:1
students per teacher
- 35% above state mean
Top 98% in Virginia - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$17,977
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors11.0 FTE
Per 219 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
64
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 34.1%
Hispanic or Latino 26.2%
Asian 23.6%
African American 10.1%
Two or More 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 34.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 74.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 74.6, Fairfax High is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 30
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfax County Public Schools, which includes Fairfax High.
$17,977
Per student
+23%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.6%
State 23.3%
Federal 10.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Fairfax High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Braddock Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Robinson Secondary | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hayfield Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chantilly High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Springfield High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fairfax High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 4,411
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 3,710
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 3,256
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 2,937
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,799
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high schools in Fairfax
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~2,404 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fairfax High's federal record.
- Compare Fairfax High against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfax County Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Fairfax High
How many students attend Fairfax High?
Fairfax High has 2,404 students enrolled. It is a high school in Fairfax, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fairfax High?
The student-teacher ratio at Fairfax High is 18.8:1, which is 35% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fairfax High?
28.0% of students at Fairfax High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fairfax High?
The largest demographic group at Fairfax High is White at 34.1% of enrollment, in Fairfax, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fairfax High?
Fairfax High has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Fairfax High rank among public schools in Fairfax?
By Resource Investment Index, Fairfax High ranks #22 of 23 public schools in Fairfax, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Fairfax on the city page.
Is Fairfax High a good school?
Fairfax High earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Virginia. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Fairfax County Public Schools?
Besides Fairfax High, Fairfax County Public Schools also operates Lake Braddock Secondary (4,411 students), Robinson Secondary (3,710 students), and Hayfield Secondary (3,256 students). See the Fairfax County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.